1. Field of the Invention
The instant invention relates to a multi-wavelength switching ensemble which performs switching operations by electrically, electromagetically, or magnetically controlling the direction in which an electromagnetic radiation signal-beam, from optical wavelengths through microwave wavelengths, The present invention permits the input to control the output. It allows a full 180 degree rotation of the beam which greatly exceeds the rotational capability of conventional systems. Furthermore, the instant invention permits less costly and greater ease of manufacture.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The processes as taught herein are uniquely distinct and different from the prior art. This invention relates generally to method and apparatus for switching electromagnetic beams by an active reflecting multi-wavelength system of a dynamic ensemble of mini-mirrors. A large representative sample of 32 prior art U.S. patents will next be enumerated. This together with the references contained therein constitutes a comprehensive compendium of the prior art showing that our invention operates totally differently than the prior art.
1. U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,018 Optical switch, method of operating optical switch, and method of designing optical switch.
2. U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,010 Optical switch.
3. U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,009 TEMC fiber based optical switch.
4. U.S. Pat. No. 6,374,008 Multi-wavelength cross-connect optical switch.
5. U.S. Pat. No. 6,362,556 Electrically actuated optical switch having a surface pivotable Mirror.
6. U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,036 MEMS optical switch and method of manufacture.
7. U.S. Pat. No. 6,360,033 Optical switch incorporating therein shallow arch leaf springs.
8. U.S. Pat. No. 6,347,168 Optical switch and optical switch system.
9. U.S. Pat. No. 6,330,102 Apparatus and method for 2-dimensional steered-beam NxM optical switch using single-axis mirror arrays and relay optics.
10. U.S. Pat. No. 6,320,997 Self-aligning 1xc3x97N rotary optical switch.
11. U.S. Pat. No. 6,320,996 Wavelength selective optical switch.
12. U.S. Pat. No. 6,314,215 Fast all-optical switch.
13. U.S. Pat. No. 6,292,597 N.times.N non-blocking optical switch.
14. U.S. Pat. No. 6,289,145 Multi-wavelength cross-connect optical switch
15. U.S. Pat. No. 6,268,952 Micromechanical light steering optical switch.
16. U.S. Pat. No. 6,263,125 Integrated optical switch array.
17. U.S. Pat. No. 6,229,640 Microelectromechanical optical switch and method of manufacture thereof.
18. U.S. Pat. No. 6,222,955 Integrated 1.times.N optical switch.
19. U.S. Pat. No. 6,212,151 Optical switch with coarse and fine deflectors.
20. U.S. Pat. No. 6,181,843 Optical switch of surface transmission type by one-dimensional array method.
21. U.S. Pat. No. 6,151,431 Compact non-blocking non-dilated optical switch using mode conversion.
22. U.S. Pat. No. 6,141,126 Wave division multiplexing based optical switch.
23. U.S. Pat. No. 6,128,115 Optical switch device.
24. U.S. Pat. No. 6,075,910 Method and apparatus for controlling an electro-optical switch.
25. U.S. Pat. No. 6,031,947 1.times.N optical switch.
26. U.S. Pat. No. 5,933,269 Common-lens reflective magneto-optical switch.
27. U.S. Pat. No. 5,903,686 Optical switch module.
28. U.S. Pat. No. 5,864,643 Miniature 1xc3x97N electromechanical optical switch and variable attenuator.
29. U.S. Pat. No. 5,828,800 Self-aligned mechanical M.times.N optical switch.
30. U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,614 1xc3x97N electromechanical optical switch.
31. U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,321 Micromechanical optical switch and flat panel display.
32. U.S. Pat. No. 5,661,827 Optical switch having a reflector.
xe2x80x9cBipolarxe2x80x9d refers herein to either a magnetic assemblage with the two poles north and south, or an electric system with + and xe2x88x92 charges separated as in an electret.
xe2x80x9cCollimatedxe2x80x9d refers herein to an approximately parallel beam of light.
xe2x80x9cElastomerxe2x80x9d is a material such as synthetic rubber or plastic, which at ordinary temperatures can be stretched substantially under low stress, and upon immediate release of the stress, will return with force to approximately its original length.
xe2x80x9cElectretxe2x80x9d refers to a solid dielectric possessing persistent electric polarization, by virtue of a long time constant for decay of charge separation.
xe2x80x9cElectrophoresis or Electrophoreticxe2x80x9d is an electrochemical process in which colloidal particles or macromolecules with a net electric charge migrate in a solution under the influence of an electric current. It is also known as cataphoresis.
xe2x80x9cImmisciblexe2x80x9d herein refers to two fluids which are incapable of mixing.
xe2x80x9cPolar gradientxe2x80x9d as used herein relates to magnetic reflecting elements that are controlled by a magnetic field gradient mode.
xe2x80x9cMonopolarxe2x80x9d as used herein denotes mono-charged reflecting elements that are controlled in an electrophoretic mode.
xe2x80x9cMulti-wavelengthxe2x80x9d as used herein denotes the scalability of the instant invention over a range of different wavelength-region-specific embodiments which could operate collectively over a range of the electromagnetic spectrum. This wavelength range extends from the visible xcx9c400xc3x9710xe2x88x929 m to the microwave region xcx9c30 cm.
xe2x80x9cRayleigh limitxe2x80x9d relates to the optical limit of resolution which can be used to determine the smallest size of the elements that constitute a mini-mirror. Lord Rayleigh discovered this limit from a study of the appearance of the diffraction patterns of closely spaced point sources.
xe2x80x9cSpin glassxe2x80x9d refers to a wide variety of materials which contain interacting atomic magnetic moments. They possess a form of disorder, in which the magnetic susceptibility undergoes an abrupt change at what is called the freezing temperature for the spin system.
xe2x80x9cSwitching planar mirrorxe2x80x9d is a thin almost planar mirror constructed with stepped varying angles so as to have the properties of a much thicker concave (or convex) mirror. It can heuristically be thought of somewhat as the projection of thin equi-angular segments of small portions of a thick mirror upon a planar surface. It is a focusing planar reflecting surface much like a planar Fresnel lens is a focusing transmitting surface. The dynamic-focussing property of an ensemble of tiny elements which make up the switching planar mirror are an essential feature of the instant invention.
xe2x80x9cThermoplasticxe2x80x9d refers to materials with a molecular structure that will soften when heated and harden when cooled. This includes materials such as vinyls, nylons, elastomers, fuorocarbons, polyethylenes, styrene, acrylics, cellulosics, etc.
xe2x80x9cTranslucentxe2x80x9d as used herein refers to materials that pass or transmit light of only certain wavelengths so that the transmitted light is colored.
There are many aspects and applications of this invention, which provides techniques applicable individually or in combination for a novel multi-wavelength switching dynamic mini-mirror ensemble which control the direction in which an electromagnetic radiation signal-beam proceeds to perform switching operations, and to a method of operating the optical switch. This ensemble can operate from optical through microwave wavelengths by electrical, electromagnetic, or magnetic activation, permitting a full unimpeded 180 degree rotation of the beam. Primarily this invention deals with the broad general concept of method and apparatus for two-axis mirror rotation of an electromagnetic beam to perform switching operations by any or several kinds of actuators. As will be described in detail, these objectives may be accomplished by any of a number of ways separately or in combination, as taught by our invention.
It is a general object of this invention to provide a dynamic switching system for electromagnetic beams that operates by reflection.
Another object is to provide an active reflection switching system.
Another objective is to provide a colored active reflection switching system for colored light beams.
One aspect of our invention is to provide a selective color dynamic reflection switching system.
Another object is to provide a novel low-cost wide-spectrum electromagnetic beam switching system.
Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent in a description of specific embodiments thereof, given by way of example only, to enable one skilled in the art to readily practice the invention singly or in combination as described hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.